Reversing Extinction
by Unprepentant Geek
Summary: Kagome just wanted to play a part in taking down inequality. She didn't expect her job in international relations to lead her to discovering a war between 2 different factions of robotic aliens. Or to become Japan's ambassador to the faction out to protect humanity. She was happy about it though, and she'd make sure humanity treated the Autobots right if it killed her.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

 **Once Upon a Timeline**

After her quest is finished Kagome's life is pretty quiet for a while. Despite all her absences and having nobody to help her when she tried to study while in Feudal Japan she doesn't fail any of her classes. A series of emails and a conference later Kagome's mother even managed to clear up the problem of her absences with an explanation much more believable than the ones Kagome's grandfather gave and she was allowed to graduate junior high with her classmates. A series of one-on-one tutoring sessions at a cram school later and Kagome even managed to do well enough on entrance exams to have options for high school beyond cheap, low quality schools and schools practically ran by the local delinquents.

In short Kagome's luck had returned, even if only for the time being. Though the actual chunk of crystal remained the spirits that had powered the Jewel of Four Souls were well and truly gone, leaving nothing but echoes of spirit energy that seemed too little in quantity to be of any use to anyone. So if anything spiritual or demonic remained in the modern era it stayed far away from where it could threaten Kagome's high school career. She missed her friends, and wished the demonic ones were around but as long as they were happy that was enough. After the well closed Kagome's spiritual power went mostly dormant anyway, she supposes it was for the best. Nonetheless her spiritual senses remained intact, and thus Kagome noticed when power started returning to the well after she graduated high school. It's so tempting to take the chance to reunite with her friends, but Kagome exercises restraint. The power is so faint she's aware that it would probably be a one way trip, and it wasn't a decision to make lightly.

Kagome took a year off before starting college. There were plenty of career options she knew that would make her happy or that she would be good at. But she didn't know what she actually _wanted_ to do with her life, and she wanted to take the time to figure it out. Kagome's family understood and her aunt even hired her at her café when she admitted she wanted to save up money until she could afford to be independent. When she finally started attending a local university part time the woman even agrees to work her hours around her class schedule so she doesn't have to be at the university at inconvenient hours. Kagome was starting to get lonely and bored, but things were going well and so she was optimistic about her future and persevered.

The first sign of things changing a news cast about a US military base in Qatar being attacked. Nobody knew who the culprit was, why the base was attacked or if there were any survivors. The US and many other countries, fearful of further attack and suspecting war was imminent immediately started preparing for the worst. Two or three days later phones and computers all over Japan start glitching or stop working for almost a day, it seemed to be a worldwide phenomenon. Everything starts working again by sunset. By the next day the news is reporting an incident in the US somewhere called Mission City. There's inconsistency but it seems generally agreed that it was a terrorist attack. Kagome herself doesn't know what to think, but the rumors of alien robots- or robotic aliens- and a government cover-up gives her pause. She had heard from an astronomy major attending her school that four meteors all landed in the same general area in the US the night before the supposed terrorist attack.

A couple years pass, and the internet becomes more and more full of rumors of vehicles acting strange. Kagome was on a trip with her family visiting relatives of her mother's in China. She was looking for a convenience store when she heard a pair of voices coming from an ice cream truck's speakers saying what seemed to be insults in English, but she couldn't understand their accents. The truck is strangely devoid of a menu, and she'd never known ice cream trucks ever came with windows that tinted. After she'd finally found the store and was making her way back to her relatives' home she passed a red corvette. Kagome heard some guy complaining in English about 'losing the others' and figured he was lost but when she turned to look and maybe try to give directions the vehicle was driving itself, and gone before she could react.

A week later Kagome was trying to figure out how to figure out what was going on when the alien theories were proven true once and for all- every electronic capable of playing videos was overtaken by a giant, menacing robotic figure with red eyes demanding some American boy be handed over to him. He and his companions are almost immediately declared the world's most wanted. A couple days after that the news blew up with word of the boy in question, one Sam Witwicky, his friends, a part of the US military called N.E.S.T and a group of blue eyed robotic aliens called Autobots saving the world from the menacing red eyed figure and his army of Decepticons. Along with the confirmation of life on other planets rumor spread of the United States' politicians placed in charge of handling the alien war that had spread to Earth giving the group out to protect humanity just as hard a time as humans had dealing with the Decepticons.

Positive regard for the Autobots was full of mixed opinions. Some were just as scared of them as the Decepticons but grateful, some were intrigued, some saw them as tools or superheroes, and some just thought the Autobots were amazing. A few years later a meteor crashed in Japan right in the forest behind the shrine. It was an escape pod holding a red and white Decepticon who seemed to be trying to save the life of an Autobot with a bright neon yellow paint job. As it turned out it was a _former_ Decepticion. After everything that happened during the war he wasn't about to put his neck or his paint job on the line for a bunch of back stabbers that weren't even interested in helping him find his best friend. The yellow Autobot was called Sunstreaker and looking for his twin. Sunstreaker was arrogant, switched between taking nothing seriously and being slightly cold at the drop of a hat, more obsessed with his looks than Knockout and a prankster. After two days passed with no word from N.E.S.T and the Autobots or any sign of their arrival Kagome got a bad feeling. Trusting the native's judgement, Knockout left to go into hiding. Sunstreaker on the other hand deemed Kagome an appropriate guide to Earth and source of information and decided to stick around until he found his twin Sideswipe or got a hold of Optimus Prime.

Three days after the pair's arrival the US launched a rocket unannounced and it exploded before it even left the atmosphere. A few days later word came that there had been complete radio from the United States since the day of the explosion, not a single government could get a hold of the US. Otherwise everything seemed normal but politically not a peep. The internet was full of rumor of a rise in Decepticon attacks, and that none of them were handled by N.E.S.T or the Autobots Optimus Prime assigned to the task force that cooperated with said military organization. Only the Autobots who liked to wander or refused to leave specific areas unless called for responded to the threats. After the strange radio silence had been going on for a week there was suddenly an explosion of information. An explosion of social media statuses and Youtube videos placed on some sort of blockade were undone, and a series of news reports of varying opinions were released.

A mech the Autobots thought they could trust was found alive in the wreckage of an Autobot ship on the moon, but he turned out to be working with Megatron. There discovery of the betrayal resulted in a fight in Washington DC that resulted in the death of one of Optimus' more well known Autobots, Ironhide. The US government gave into the traitor's and Megatron's demands to banish the Autobots from Earth without protest or an attempt to fight or defend the Cybertronians who had done nothing but help humanity. As soon as the rocket exploded and everyone thought the Autobots were dead the traitor and the Decepticons launched a massive attack on Chicago. They tried to open a space bridge to bring Cybertron to Earth- or an army of Decepticons waiting on Cybertron to Earth- and enslave humanity. When things looked bleakest it turned out the Autobots only pretended to leave to prove a point- that the Decepticons wouldn't leave humanity and Earth alone just because the Autobots were out of the picture. The Autobots, and the loyal members of N.E.S.T just barely pulled off saving the world. Rumor had it the Autobots' infamous ally American civilian Sam Witwicky died playing an integral roll in saving the world from the Decepticons a third and final time.

Kagome's family thought that meant Sunstreaker could finally reunite with his twin but Kagome and the alien himself had a bad feeling, and waited. The news and social media was blowing up. A man called Simmons and various others spoke up in defense of the Autobots over official news channels and on every social media they had a voice on. The Autobots were heroes, without them humanity would be rendered extinct or enslaved. According to the few facts the US government didn't guard jealously or that got released to the world wide web before they could be hidden, by the time Optimus Prime and the team he'd had upon his initial arrival on Earth the Decepticons had been on Earth for centuries even disregarding their leader Megatron. Earth and Cybertron's histories were intrinsically intertwined far deeper than most could fathom. There was too much evidence that Earth would be conquered or lost without the Autobots.

Nobody with any actual pull with the United States government would listen. The US declared all Cybertronians regardless of faction a threat, and the Autobots and neutrals were rendered criminals as if they were just like the Decepticons. When Kagome heard the news she swore her heart dropped. Sunstreaker refused to wait anymore. He was more desperate to find his twin than ever. So Kagome made plans to move to the United States to help the yellow bot find his twin. In secret, they used every bit of information they could find on Autobot sightings to look for some bot in hopes of finding someone who could give them a lead on Sideswipe or someone who would know how to find him. A couple years passed with no luck. Then they finally got some leads, but the Autobot they managed to contact disappeared. Another few months passed, and Kagome and Sunstreaker had figured out that the Autobots' human allies who wouldn't betray or abandon them had been silenced or chased off. Not long after Optimus sent a transmission to all Autobots on Earth ordering complete radio silence and to stay hidden. The darker corners of the internet spoke of yet a government cover-up and Autobots disappearing. Sunstreaker and Kagome didn't need to be geniuses to guess that Optimus knew or guessed something about it and had been investigating.

Then the worst happened- Sunstreaker felt betrayal and immense pain from Sideswipe's end of their connection, then his twin's presence was just gone and the bond shattered. Sunstreaker all but shut down, and almost as if of its own accord his holoform activated. Kagome held the false body as it silently shed the tears Sunstreaker was too numb and broken to shed in his actual form. He decided to stay with Kagome, and when or if she returned to Japan so would he. Their friendship was all Sunstreaker had on Earth and the Optimus Prime the yellow bot knew of would have wanted to place Autobots at various posts so that should a Decepticon attack there was someone close enough to respond quickly no matter where the threat was located.

Eventually, Kagome's actual job took them to a town in Texas. For the first year, she rented an apartment. During that time Kagome befriended a local widower named Cade Yaeger. He was older than her, but a great friend and the most decent company in the area. He was overprotective of his daughter, but Kagome adored how much he cared for Tessa. Tessa herself was nice enough and incredibly well adjusted considering how smothered she felt, but she had a number of Kagome's old school friends more frustrating qualities and Sunstreaker found her obnoxious. (As a result he liked to spook her as subtly as he could while still maintaining his cover and not implicating Kagome.) Unfortunately, Cade's habit of caring more about his projects than making a profit and letting his friend and sole employee get away with messing up or losing money hurt his business. So Kagome offered to rent the guest room. That way the father and daughter could at least keep their utilities and eat. Kagome wanted to do more, but she couldn't afford it and even if she could Cade wouldn't have let her.

Then one day one Sunstreaker was tweaking with some radio equipment Cade had actually fixed instead of leaving lying around or scrapping it for parts. Then the unexpected happened- completely on accident Sunstreaker managed to tune into the frequency of some sort of special ops group. They had word of a Cybertronian's location and judging by the sound of the chatter it wasn't a Decepticon and the ops group- called 'Cemetery Wind' wasn't even trying to curb the threat that was the remaining Decepticons. They investigated and true to their suspicions the target was an Autobot- Ratchet. Sunstreaker worked with Ratchet to put his skills as an artist to use, and when Cemetery Wind caught Ratchet Kagome and Sunstreaker managed to cause enough confusion to switch out the nearly downed medic with a replica that took the blow that would've been rendered Ratchet unable to escape death.

Ratchet was shocked and confused by what had almost happened to him, Sunstreaker's presence, and Kagome's involvement but grateful. Once they had room to breath they got to work making sure Ratchet would live. Then after having Ratchet scan a new alt mode- part disguise part keep Sunstreaker from being a headache over how the paint job didn't suit the medic- they returned to Texas. But when they got back to Cade's home the barn Cade had repurposed as a lab was destroyed and the house was a wreck. A bunch of suspicious vehicles were going in two different directions after two different vehicles- a car Sunstreaker had reported came around whenever Tessa had the impression Cade was gone or asleep and a semi in terrible condition.

Ratchet recognized it as Optimus, and both bots could read a signal. It was faint, giving away how bad off their leader was but strong. They were farther behind than most would like, but that gave them the advantage of surprise. Still, the three did what they could. Sunstreaker went after the humans being chased to help them as subtly as possible while Ratchet went to help Optimus. Soon enough Kagome and Sunstreaker caught up to Cade and the others just as Optimus and Ratchet did. The humans made a break for Optimus and safety, but it was almost too late. The mysterious neutral bot Ratchet and Optimus later revealed was a mercenary called Lockdown threw a bomb that wrecked the car, the building behind it, and killed Cade's friend and employee Lucas- who it was revealed were the reason Cemetery Wind even found Optimus.

Once they lost their pursuers they took refuge at an abandoned gas station. After making sure Cemetery Wind was really gone for the moment Kagome and Sunstreaker revealed the yellow bot's presence. As the bots reunited and Ratchet repaired Optimus Kagome and Sunstreaker explained their end of things briefly and compared notes on what little information there was with the older bots. None of them knew anything about Cemetery Wind. Not what their goal was, if Cemetery Wind was an official government operation, or even if they were the only threat in play. The only thing clear was that for some reason, the Autobots were being hunted. That night Cade didn't get any sleep, he'd stolen a drone and was using his expertise to find some answers.

The next day Cade pulled one of his tricks using the drone. Amidst the distraction the group snuck away, Optimus scanning a new alt mode. The paint job itself and new, fancy model weren't exactly inconspicuous but it helped the last of the damage and wear and Cemetery Wind were looking for a semi that looked like it could barely run. Finally they regrouped with the four other surviving Autobots who were alive and in the US to respond to Optimus' call to arms. Hound and Drift were nice when you didn't piss them off, but Bumblebee was Kagome's favorite. He seemed a little fiercer and angrier but he was a cheerful bot and a sweetheart. Kagome liked him. The quartet didn't know any more than Optimus and Ratchet did.

Luckily for them Cade had some hacking skills to go with the skills he put to use with his inventing company. Some feed from the drone and research revealed that Cemetery Wind pulled their victims apart and trucks from a company called KSI collected the corpses. KSI clearly had deals with the military- probably under the table. Kagome let the bots know that based on her knowledge of the US government, the CIA was probably involved and not necessarily on an official basis. If it was official there was a chance the president either knew very little or kept it a secret from every part of the government not involved. As Cade formed a plan of infiltration Kagome got the bots to help her save the video to her tablet. She had her own plan, she wouldn't see this end with the government not getting punished for its crimes against the Autobots.

The infiltration of KSI headquarters in Chicago was almost a disaster, but they managed to save a bot named Que and discovered that the Autobots were being melted down to use their metal to build knock offs. Sunstreaker and Bumblebee were so enraged they almost gave the whole thing away. Kagome filmed the entire operation with her phone and got footage of the deaths of all the other bots used- not single Decepticon in any of the footage. Then the CEO confronted them, and Optimus' words went in one ear and out the other until Kagome stated point blank that what he'd done to the Autobots was as bad as the Nazis and Ku Klux Klan. _That_ seemed to strike a cord in him, though the man ignored iti. The escape went far worse- the knock-off bots were sent after them. And the one with a semi for an alt mode had an eerily familiar bot mode- Megatron. Kagome could guess where that was going.

Then Lockdown captured Optimus and in the process Tessa and everyone had to perform a rescue. Once that was done a new piece of the puzzle was revealed- Lockdown's trade to the human trash was a tool for cyberforming called a Seed. And Que confirmed that Galvatron true to Kagome's suspicions really was Megatron resurrected. The Decepticon leader's spirit had lingered with the pice of his corpse KSI used for their experiments and played the CEO like a fiddle. Though the Autobots were hesitant to risk their lives to save the humans a fourth time after everything they'd gone through in the end they couldn't just _let_ the apocalypse happen and off to China it was. It was a close call but in the end the bots and decent humans won and the KSI CEO played a part in saving the day when Cade finally made the man admit what he'd secretly suspected all along.

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. Optimus was told some strange, almost disturbing things by Lockdown and left to search for answers. Then there was the fact Cade and Tessa still had no home and how the Autobots were still in a dire situation. Kagome posted her videos and true to plan they were going viral too fast for the US to hide its dirty little secret. She kept the KSI CEO out of it since he'd learned his lesson though and only threw Savoy, Attinger, and the US government under the bus. It couldn't do anything about what they'd already been through, but maybe until Megatron and the Decepticons stirred up more trouble they could have peace. As the bots recovered and the CEO helped the Yaegers with their more domestic troubles they all laid low at Kagome's childhood home on the shrine in Tokyo.

Maybe it was the sparks or energon from all of the bots nearby. Maybe it was just the passage of time. But one day it happened- the Bone Eater's Well had more power and the remants of the jewel's power were acting up. Kagome had one last chance- she could return to the Feudal Era to tie up loose ends, and maybe manage to come back for the last time. But the remnants of the jewel's spirit energy were changed some- perhaps from all the time Kagome spent with Sunstreaker- and she realized that just maybe she had another option. So, sitting on the edge of the well with her legs dangling inside Kagome grasped the jewel in one hand. Then she channeled her own spirit energy for the last time- into the jewel and the well simultaneously. And she made a wish.

" _ **I wish I had a chance to make things right."**_

Kagome shoved herself off the side and into the well one last time. And then suddenly she was eighteen again, freshly angry over injustice people had suffered. Vague semblances of memories that were yet weren't hers flashed through her head. And Kagome knew- she had to hold onto this determination and channel it into forging her path. She wasn't sure how or when, but the future depended on it.

 **End of Chapter**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

 **So Much for 'Entry Level'**

Kagome's life was quiet after her quest was over. That was okay with her, though. She managed to graduate junior high with her classmates instead of get held back a year, and she even got into a semi decent high school instead of something out of a manga starring a delinquent. Contrary to her hopes there was no sign of her inhuman friends being around or anything spiritual or demonic, for that matter. But that was okay. Kagome had left Feudal Japan on the best terms she could with how little time she was given to say goodbye. It was probably for the best- her spiritual powers seemed dormant or changed anyway and the fact that all that was left of the Jewel of Four Souls was a chunk of powerless light pink crystal would probably have pissed off any malicious or self serving forces hoping for a power boost or wish. Not to say Kagome was unhappy by any means. While Kagome was lonely, she was also content and filled with optimistic that whatever force had power over such things had more in store for her than an unfulfilling average life.

Fate certainly took a turn that would have surprised Kagome even during her adventures. When Kagome graduated high school she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. So she spent her first year of college taking care of her requisite courses. Later, Kagome thought back she supposed it all started with her humanities courses. The idea that such prejudice and inequality went with few to no checks even in the twenty first century appalled Kagome. When Kagome first turned fifteen she would've barely noticed such things, but whether it was because of what half demons went through in Feudal Japan, how she'd matured and grown wiser since then, or something else it struck a cord in her.

And so, filled with righteous fury and determination to do her part to make sure nobody else would grow up like Inuyasha, Jinenji and Shiori did Kagome majored in politics. After some more uncertainty Kagome finally settled on specializing in international relations. With a some hard work and luck, Kagome scored an internship working under Japan's delegate to the United Nations. Kagome seemed to have unknowingly impressed someone or else she or someone she knew had friends in high places, because her luck continued. When her internship was over and she graduated she got hired on.

Then a tragedy- more like the beginnings of a potential disaster- struck. One of the United States' air force bases in Qatar was attacked by someone or something unknown and tried to hack the system. The hardlines were barely cut in time, but it didn't matter. Everyone who had been on that base was either dead or missing. The situation was dire, and a lot of countries were worried about similar occurrences happening to them. A few couple of quick meetings for the US government and a UN committee later a task force was set to figure out what was going on. Kagome was chosen to be the committee's representative at the Pentagon.

She was at the front with the task force's superiors and the US government's officials when the Secretary of Defense addressed the task force.

"Steve." Secretary of Defense Keller said, shaking the man's hand.

"Hello Mr. Secretary." Steve said.

"They're so young." Keller noted.

"They're the top subject matter experts, sir." Steve explained, "NSA's recruiting right out of high school these days."

"This is so beyond what anyone is used to anyone older than 35 would probably need to take extra schooling to be equipped to handle this." Kagome noted, "My grandpa's alright with technology but a friend of mine's mother can't even figure out how to log into her Facebook account."

"You must be the representative from the UN. I don't believe we've met." Keller said, shaking Kagome's hand.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi. I've been working with Japan's delegate to the UN since I was an intern." Kagome introduced.

Finally Steve got the NSA task force's attention. "Ladys and gentleman, the Secretary of Defense."

Everyone stood up.

"Please be seated." Keller said; they all did so, "I'm John Keller. Obviously you're wondering why you're here, so these are the facts. At 1900 local time yesterday the SOCCENT Forward Operations base in Qatar was attacked. So far as we know, there were no survivors. The objective of the attack was to hack our military network. We're not sure exactly what they're after but we do know that they were cut off during the assault, which would lead us to assume that they're going to try it again. Now, no one's taking responsibility for the attack. And the only real lead we have so far is this sound."

At Keller's cue an almost screeching sound was played for demonstration. It reminded Kagome of the old school dial-up internet sound and she thought it almost sounded like something was communicating with something or someone else.

"That's the signal that hacked our network." Keller continued, "NSA's working full capacity to analyze it and intercept further communications, but we need your help to find out who did this. Now you've all shown considerable ability in the area of signals analysis. We're on a hair trigger here people. The president has dispatched battle groups to the Arabian Gulf and Yellow Sea. This is as real as it's ever gonna get. Now I'm gonna leave you to your officer in charge. You'll break up into teams and you'll start your work. Good luck to us all."

"May the Kamis help us all." Kagome muttered as she gathered her things to go write a report for the UN committee.

"Miss Higurashi." Keller said, "If I can have a moment of your time, I would appreciate an outside view on the situation."

"To put it delicately? Every other delegate at the meeting was just as nervous and suspicious as the US." Kagome replied, "This could blow out of proportion very quickly if everyone involved doesn't keep a cool head."

"Believe me, I would love it if this doesn't end in another war." Keller said.

"Off the record, Mr. Keller, if you'll forgive me speaking plainly- something is strange about this." Kagome admitted, "If the more gun ho individuals with sway over the military take charge, I can't see this ending well."

"Well, if you're right I hope the president will listen to reason." Keller said.

Two days after the task force was put to work one of the analysts caught someone or something hacking Air Force One, the US president's personal jet. On site the incident went similarly to Qatar aside for nobody dying. That mystery assailant was barely stopped and managed to escape like the first one had. But in contrast to the first attack before the hard lines were cut it managed to get into the network and steal some information, though the analysts caught it in time to keep the assailant from getting everything they wanted. At the same time a virus was planted. A meeting was called to go over the aftermath and any new information. To Kagome's dismay most of the people present who were liable to be listened to seemed to be warmongers.

"Obviously the first phase of a major attack against the US. The only countries with this capability are Russia, North Korea. Maybe China." A military officer claimed once everyone was debriefed about the hacking incident.

"I'm sorry that's not correct." a blonde woman spoke up from the back.

"Excuse me young lady. I didn't see you standing there. You would be who?"

"I'm just the analyst who detected the hack." the woman said, moving away from by the doorway.

"Hold on. It was you? You did it?" Keller asked.

"Her team." a man who had been debriefing Keller when they entered confirmed.

"Sir I was just trying to say, they hacked your firewall in ten seconds." the analyst continued, "Okay. Even a supercomputer with a brute force attack would take 20 years to do that."

"Maybe you can explain then how our latest satellite imagery shows North Korea doubling its naval activity." A military officer replied.

"Maybe it's a precaution because isn't that what we're doing?" the analyst pointed out before continuing to argue her case, "The signal pattern is learning. It's evolving on its own. And you need to move past Fourier transfers and start considering quantum mechanics."

"There is nothing on Earth that complex." the analyst's superior countered.

'Nothing on Earth' gave Kagome a start. What if they weren't dealing with humans at all?

"What about an organism? A living organism? Maybe some kind of DNA based computer." the analyst suggested, "And I know that that sounds crazy…"

Kagome knew better than anyone in that room that contrary to animation and sci fi's depiction of Japan no one on Earth was even close to developing something like that unless demons were around and delving into some serious robotics and physics. And that woman was the only one who seemed to be making any sense of the mystery hacker. So logically if the only competent person involved was right like Kagome suspected, who or what were they dealing with? But nobody else was willing to hear her out.

"That's enough. That's enough." Keller interrupted, possibly to stop the other men in the room from saying or doing something stupid or cruel, "We have six floors of analysts working on this thing. Now if you can find proof to back up your theory, I'm gonna be happy to listen to you. But if you don't get a filter on that brain-mouth thing you're gonna be off the team. You understand?"

The meeting continued without the woman. Finally Keller addressed the only foreigner present.

"Miss Higurashi, as the UN's delegate I would like to hear your input." Keller offered.

"…" Kagome thought over her response carefully, "Was she right about it being done in ten seconds?"

"From what we have to go on it barely took that long." the analyst's superior admitted.

"The most tactful way I can put it is that I think that this is the worst time to give into paranoia." Kagome said, "You need to tread carefully. It won't be self defense if you make a move before you have a full picture."

The next day Kagome going over the committee's response to the current information and the actions the US was taking with Keller. That was when some silver lining finally showed.

"Sir, we're tracking a special ops team in Qatar." one man reported, "They say they're survivors of the base attack."

"Survivors?" Keller asked.

The call was broadcast for all in the room to hear. It sounded like the team was under attack by something.

"Ain't never seen this in my life! Need gunships on station ASAP." a lieutenant reported.

"Predator's coming up in a minute!"

"We're linking the call to the nearest AWACs."

"Unknown, man. I don't… if you seen this shit…"

"Predator ETA two minutes."

The screen showed some kind of robotic scorpion. It was alien in nature. To be specific given the analyst's disregarded report it was probably a non-organic alien.

"What is that?" Keller asked.

"I don't know."

Those present not at work on a computer watched as the special ops team barely kept themselves alive.

"We need air support and we need it now. Roll in Strike Package Bravo on unknown target. I authenticate Tango Whiskey at time 0300 Zulu."

The air support took longer than expected to be effective. Whatever that robotic being was, it was very durable. Nonetheless, the threat was taken down and the special ops team survived to be brought back to US soil.

"Higurashi, what do you make of this?" Keller asked when things calmed down.

"That girl was right- this is beyond anything on Earth." Kagome pointed out, "Is it possible that that thing was an alien?"

Later there was more information thanks to the special ops team.

"The rangers are on route with the imager but we also have a security issue."

"Circle logs indicate one of the analysts made a copy of the network intrusion signal."

"That girl." Keller muttered.

"As soon as we have a read on the coordinates the breach will be dealt with."

"She's so desperate to prevent an unjustified war she risked her job and her freedom." Kagome noted, "I'm impressed by her determination."

"Miss Higurashi I understand you're new to this as she is but please try to be more tactful." Keller requested.

Kagome snorted. 'At least even on a bad day I have more tact than to start an unwarranted war.' she thought.

"All I'll say for now is that the smart thing to do would be to listen to her." Kagome replied.

Not that there seemed to be time to deal with the analyst or answer her apparent plea to talk to Keller. As Kagome reported to her superior and the rest of the UN committee Keller was busy with a video conference with some military leaders and a couple of other military officials.

 _You're doing a good job so far. Retaliation against a definite assailant is permissible but make it clear that the UN won't be forgiving if the US takes any action that causes unwarranted warfare or sets back diplomatic relations with any new non hostile entities. None of my associates in the committee or their sources know of any robotics expert or scientific breakthrough that could pull something like this off._

 _Takeda_

 _Understood. I'll do what I can. Keller's associates seem to be a bunch of hard headed elders set in their ways and warmongers. I just hope I have a chance to interfere before they start something with the potential to ignite World War III. Do I have permission to extend a welcoming hand if this is really the work of a previously unknown race of sentients?_

 _Higurashi_

The Chinese and Russian navies were getting close to the US' navies in the Pacific. Things were getting more tense by the minute. Kagome warned Keller about the committee's concerns. He seemed to agree.

"Tell the strike group commander that he's not to engage unless fired on first." Keller ordered.

"Yes sir."

An unknown man in an all black suit approached, briefcase in hand. "Mr. Secretary? Tom Banachek. I'm with Sector Seven, Advanced Research Division."

"Never heard of it." Keller said, "I'm a little busy, Tom. I think you can see that."

That was when all the computers went on the fritz. Nobody seemed able to fix it, and the virus seemed to be responsible.

"A government organization the Secretary of Defense doesn't know of? This isn't like Area 51 or the MIB is it?" Kagome asked.

"And you are?" Banachek asked.

"Kagome Higurashi. I'm here as a representative for the UN committee set up to address whatever's going on." Kagome introduced.

The pair watched as everyone else in the room tried to get the computers back up. As Banachek went to take a seat until he could get Keller's attention Kagome listened as Keller was informed the blackout of sorts was global.

"You mean to tell me I can't pick up this phone and call my family?" Keller asked, picking up a landline phone to check the truth of what he was told and pulling out his cell phone to find out that didn't work either.

"Mr. Secretary? I'm here under direct order from the president." Banachek spoke up, "You and Representative Higurashi really need to see what I have in the case."

 **End of Chapter**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

 **Alien Wars and Secret Organizations**

Finally Banachek had Keller's attention. "The president? What do you have there?"

Banachek opened up the briefcase to reveal a laptop.

"You have to accept that there are certain things you won't understand right away. Sector Seven is a special access division of the government convened in secret under President Hoover 80 years ago." Banachek began, "You may remember NASA JPL lost the Beagle 2 Mars Rover. We told them to report the mission a complete failure. It wasn't. Beagle 2 transmitted 13 seconds. This was classified above top secret."

The transmission was the sound of something huge's footsteps and its shadow. Then a huge, metallic being bent down in front of the Rover's camera and the transmission was cut off.

"More than just a pile of Martian rocks." Banachek continued, taking out a pair of printed photos, "This is the image from Mars. Here is the image your special ops team was able to retrieve from the base attack. We believe they are of the same exoskeletal type, and obviously not Russian or North Korean."

"Are we talking about an invasion?" Keller asked.

"We intercepted the message from your special ops team." Banachek revealed, "These things can be hurt by our weapons and now they know it. That's why the virus shut us down, so we can't coordinate against their next attack, which I would bet my ridiculous government salary is coming- soon."

"So what now?" Kagome asked.

"We're gathering a group of involved individuals to debrief the situation and figure out how best to handle the threat at hand." Banachek said, "Mr. Secretary, Representative Higurashi I believe it would be in your best interests to come along."

Both agreed without hesitation. Then Keller moved quickly to adjust the military's orders. Then once Keller and Kagome were ready to leave with Banachek they went to the interrogation room the analyst, whose name Kagome finally discovered was Maggie Walsh, was being held in with a black man who seemed to be a friend of hers.

"She's in here."

"What's going on?" Maggie asked.

"You're coming with me." Keller said, "You're going to be my advisor."

"Me too?" Maggie's friend asked.

"Who's this?" Keller asked.

Maggie didn't miss a beat. "He's my advisor."

"He comes too." Keller decided.

Kagome wound up in a helicopter with Maggie, her friend who introduced himself as Glen, and a pair of teens- a boy named Sam and a girl named Mikaela.

"So…" Sam said, seeming to be looking for a way to make small talk.

"What'd they get you for?" Maggie asked.

"Uh… I bought a car. Turned out to be an alien robot." Sam explained.

"Wow." Glen whispered, seeming jealous.

"Who knew?" Sam continued.

"Wait, one of the aliens? Why'd it put up with ending up your car?" Kagome asked.

"He was sent to protect me." Sam admitted.

"He saved us from a nasty one disguised as a cop car." Mikaela chimed in.

"So some of them are friendly and some aren't?" Kagome asked.

"Pretty much." Sam said, "Honestly I'm not sure they're that different from us besides the transforming robots thing."

The helicopter landed they were put in black SUVs. Kagome felt sick to her stomach when she saw a yellow bot being carted off like cargo surrounded by scientists. Finally they arrived at the Hoover Dam, where they met up with a group of soldiers who seemed to be the formerly MIA special ops team. While Keller addressed the special ops team Kagome stayed with the teens. They were stopped by an arrogant seeming man dressed in black paramilitary style clothing named Simmons.

"Hey Kid. I think we got off to a bad start, huh?" Simmons greeted, grabbing Sam's shoulder, "You must be hungry. You want a latte? Hoho? Double vente macciato?"

"Where's my car?" Sam demanded.

Banachek seemed to realize how angry Sam was and intervened. "Son, I need you to listen to my very carefully. People can die here. We need to know everything you know. We need to know it now."

Sam nodded. "Okay. But first I'll take my car, my parents. Maybe you should write that down. Oh, and her juvie record. That's got to be gone. Like, forever."

Mikaela looked shocked, and more grateful than a lot of people Kagome had ever seen.

"Come with me. We'll talk about your car." Banachek said.

"The friendly one had better be okay." Kagome threatened.

"The man's an extortionist." Simmons muttered as everyone else moved ahead of him.

The group made to enter the dam.

"Alright here's the situation." Simmons said, "You've all had direct contact with the NBEs."

"NBEs?" Epps asked.

"Non biological extraterrestrials. Try and keep up with the acronyms." Simmons said as if it was supposed to be obvious.

"What you're about to see is totally classified." Banachek called as they entered a freezing cold hangar.

A particularly huge alien was standing frozen. Some scientists seemed to be either working to keep him frozen or doing something that was probably stupid. Everyone was shocked, in awe or scared out of their minds.

"Dear god, what is this?" Keller asked.

"We think when he made his approach over the North Pole, our gravitational field screwed up his telemetry." Banachek explained, "He crashed in the ice, probably a few thousand years ago. We shipped him here to this facility in 1934."

"We call him NBE One." Simmons added.

"Well sir, I don't mean to correct you on everything you think you know but, I mean that's Megatron." Sam stated, looking up at the giant alien calculatingly, "He's the leader of the Decepticons."

"Is that a race or a faction?" Kagome asked.

"A faction. The Decepticons basically made their home planet Cybertron uninhabitable." Sam explained.

"He's been in cryostasis since 1935." Banachek said, "Your great great grandfather made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of mankind."

"Fact is, you're looking at the source of the modern age; the microchip, lasers, space flight, cars, all reversed engineered by studying him." Simmons revealed as he got in Sam's face in a huff, "NBE One. That's what we call it."

"And you didn't think the United States military needed that you're keeping a hostile alien robot frozen in the basement?" Keller asked.

"Or that other world leaders might need to know we're really not alone in the universe in case they had to develop a method to defend their people?" Kagome added, "Or that vivisecting a hostile alien might be incredibly stupid?"

"Until these events we had no credible threat to national or global security." Banachek claimed.

"Well you got one now." Keller replied angrily.

"So why Earth?" Lennox asked.

"It's the Allspark." Sam answered.

"Allspark? What is that?" Keller asked.

"Well, yeah they came here looking for some sort of cube looking thing." Sam explained, "Anyway Mr. NBE One her, aka Megatron- that they call him, who's pretty much the harbinger of death, wants to use the cube to transform Earth's technology to take over the universe. That's their plan."

Simmons and Banachek seemed pretty grim.

"And you're sure about that?" Simmons asked.

"Yeah." Sam said, then he noticed their expressions, "You guys know where it is, don't you?"

"Follow me." Banachek said.

"You're about to see our crown jewel." Simmons said leading them to an office overlooking another hangar.

"Carbon dating puts the cube here around 10,000 BC." Banachek said, "The first Seven didn't find it until 1913. They knew it was alien because of the matching hieroglyphics on the Cube as well as NBE One. President Hoover had the dam built around it. Four football fields thick of concrete. A perfect way to hide its energy from being detected by anyone or any alien species on the outside."

Maggie noticed something. "Wait back up. You said the dam hides the Cube's energy. What kind exactly?"

"Good question." Banachek said.

They were led to a room with a glass box in the middle with a machine of some sort inside it. There were cords and pillars hiding wires that connect to the Cube.

"Please step inside. They have to lock us in." Banachek said.

There were claw marks on a metal part of the wall.

"Oh, wow. What's that? Freddy Krueger done been up in here or something?" Epps asked.

"Oh, no man. Freddy Krueger has four blades, man. That's only three. That's Wolverine." Glen said laughing, "Right? That's Wolverine!"

Epps looked at Glen like he was crazy.

"That's very funny." Simmons mocked, "Anybody have any mechanical devices? Blackberry? Key alarm? Cell phone?"

Glen was the first to respond. "I've got a phone."

Glen tossed it to Simmons, who put it on the box.

"Oof. Nokias are real nasty." Simmons said, "You've got to respect the Japanese. They know the way of the samurai."

As everyone was given goggles Simmons shut the box.

"Nokia's from Finland." Maggie pointed out.

"And all samurai are Japanese. Samurai and the code of Bushido are Japanese concepts." Kagome added.

"Yes, but you know he's a little strange. He's a little strange." Keller said, shushing the two women.

"We're able to take the Cube radiation and funnel it into that box." Simmons revealed, pulling some kind of switch.

Something like electricity zapped the phone. It transformed into a tiny robot that seemed either angry or scared. The little thing wasted no time trying to break out of the box.

"Mean little sucker, huh?" Simmons said.

"That thing is freaky!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Kind of like the itty bitty Energizer Bunny from hell, huh?" Simmons agreed.

The robot started shooting at the glass and launching missiles. When it started cracking the glass Simmons pushed some sort of button and another burst of electricity killed it.

"That is incredibly inhumane. Do you do that all the time?" Kagome demanded, "Would you have still killed it if it didn't look like it would attack us?"

"I don't need to explain myself to some uppity paper pusher from another country lady." Simmons argued, "This doesn't even involve you."

Kagome moved to slap him only for Keller to hold her back. "Why of all of the-"

Before Kagome could wind up in a shouting match, the power started flickering and explosions could be here. Everyone could tell what that meant- the Decepticons had arrived.

"Gentleman, they know the Cube is here." Keller announced in case anyone was slower on the uptake.

Banachek activated an intercom. "Banachek what's going on?"

"Well, the NBE One hangar has lost power, and the backup generator is just not gonna cut it."

"Get your men out of there then!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Do you have an arms room?" Lennox asked.

As Banachek and Simmons led them to the arms room the Sector Seven personnel in ear's reach were ordered to get everyone to Megatron's hangar as if they thought they'd either be safer there or be able to stop Megatron when he woke up.

"Let's go. They're popping our generators!" Banachek said.

As quickly as they could manage they were in the arms room. The soldiers wasted no time in preparing weapons and armed trucks. Kagome got herself the most powerful handgun she could handle without falling victim to the recoil. Then the power flickered again. It was clear they were losing time.

Sam approached Simmons.

"You got to take me to my car. You have to take me to my car." Sam begged, "He's gonna know what to do with the Cube."

"Your car? It's confiscated." Simmons said.

"Then unconfiscate it." Sam demanded.

"We do not know what will happen if we let that thing near it!" Simmons argued.

"You don't know." Sam countered.

"You know maybe, but I don't know." Simmons said.

"You just want to sit here and wait and see what happens?" Sam asked.

"I can tell you what will happen- Megatron will use us for target practice." Kagome said, "Simmons don't be stupid.

"Stay out of this, Lady! I won't tell you again." Simmons practically shouted, "I have people's lives at stake here young man."

Lennox was getting as sick of Simmons' attitude as Kagome, and he slammed Simmons against a car.

"Take him to his car!" Lennox growled.

The Sector Seven personnel aimed their guns at him but Lennox's soldiers backed him up and took them down.

"Keller, get that Simmons creep under control before his stupidity causes the apocalypse." Kagome hissed as that was going on.

Banachek was panicked at this point. "Whoa whoa whoa!"

"Drop your weapon, soldier." Simmons said, "There's an alien war going on and you're going to shoot me?"

"You know, we didn't ask to be here." Lennox replied.

"I'm ordering you under S-Seven executive jurisdiction." Simmons said.

"S-Seven don't exist." Epps pointed out.

"Right. And we don't take orders from people that don't exist." Lennox agreed.

"I'm gonna count to five. Okay." Simmons said.

Lennox pressed his handgun to where Simmons' heart was. "Well, I'm gonna count to three."

"Simmons." Keller finally interrupted, "I'd do what he says. Losing's really not an option for these guys."

Simmons nodded. "All right. Okay. Hey, you want to lay the fate of the world on the kid's camaro? That's cool."

 **End of Chapter**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

 **Battle for the Allspark**

Banachek led to another room. Scientists were torturing a yellow and black bot as other personnel used some sort of guns to freeze it. He was letting out squealing beeps of pain. Kagome was quick to force them to comply with Sam's and Banachek's demands to stop. She was pretty sure she broke a particularly stupid and stubborn one's nose. Sometimes Kagome really loved the self defense training her superior demanded she take in order to be accepted for the internship.

"Let him go, let him go." Sam demanded, rushing to Bumblebee's side, "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you right?"

Bumblebee only seemed concerned with Sam and Mikaela. Kagome noticed he could barely bring himself to take his eyes off of the boy. Then a battle mask lowered, hiding most of the bot's face and he aimed a blaster back and forth between the humans he didn't know.

"Listen to me." Sam called, getting his attention, "The Cube is here and the Decepticons are coming."

Bumblebee sat up but didn't let up.

"Don't worry about them. They're okay." Sam assured, "Right? They're not going to hurt you."

"If these monsters try anything else I'll make sure they can't reproduce and petition to have them court marshaled." Kagome chimed in, "Laws against inhumane treatment are supposed to protect aliens and other sentient species too."

"Just back up a little bit." Sam suggested, waving everyone back, "He's friendly. He's fine."

"Okay, come on." Sam coaxed, "Put the guns down. They're not gonna hurt you. Hey come with me, we're gonna take you to the Allspark."

"Those monsters didn't hurt you did they?" Kagome asked as they walked back to the Allspark's hangar.

Bumblebee shook his head, then he played a country song. _"What's your mama's name, girl?"_

"You mean mine?" Kagome guessed, "Kagome Higurashi. I'm from Japan. The United Nations committee formed to address the mess the Decepticons are causing sent me to the Pentagon as their representative to find out what's happening and act on their behalf."

 _"What did the emperor have to say?"_ Bumblebee played.

"Among other things once we realized we might not be dealing with hostile humans I was told to make sure the US government doesn't blow a chance for cordial relations with any non hostile entities encountered." Kagome answered.

Bumblebee nodded in understanding.

When they reached the hangar, Bumblebee made an awed sounding beeping sound when he laid eyes on the Allspark for what could have been the first time in his life. Then he reached out his hands and touched it.

"Okay, here we go. He's doing something." Epps noted.

There was a flash of sparks as the lines and hieroglyphics lit up with a blue light. Then the Allspark shrank in on itself until it was safe in Bumbebee's hand, now small enough for a human to carry.

 _"Message from Starfleet, Captain.- Let's get to it."_ Bumblebee said.

"He's right. We stay here we're screwed with Megatron in the other hangar." Lennox said, "Mission City is 22 miles away. We're gonna sneak that cube out of here and we're gonna hide it somewhere in the city."

"Good. Right!" Keller agreed.

"But we cannot make a stand without the air force." Lennox continued.

"This place must have some sort of radio link!" Keller suggested, turning to Simmons.

"Yes." Simmons confirmed.

"Shortwave, CB." Keller listed.

"Yes." Simmons agreed, catching on.

"Sir, you're gonna have to figure out some way to get word out to them." Lennox said, "Let's move!"

"I'm going with you, it's not like I'll be of any use here." Kagome said, "I can apply emergency first aid and there might be civilians that need to be evacuated."

"Fine by me, I'll take all the help we can get. Go with the kids." Lennox agreed, "All right, Sam get in the car!"

As Kagome climbed into the back seat of Bumblebee's alt mode with the Allspark, Lennox gave out final instructions to Keller and those staying with him. Her hand brushed the Allspark, and it was almost like she got shocked. Only it didn't hurt Kagome and she swore it was almost like the Cube was interacting with her spirit energy and the powerless jewel that once held prisoner a number of souls.

 _"Annie are you okay?"_ Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kagome reassured, "It was probably nothing.

And finally, they were off.

"The Cube's okay?" Sam checked as the dam fell out of view behind them; Mikaela and Kagome both assured Sam it was fine, "Okay- put a seatbelt on it."

Halfway there an entourage of vehicles could be seen driving towards them.

"There's Optimus." Sam pointed out as the vehicles swiftly turned around to add to the escort.

"More friendlies I take it?" Kagome noted.

"Yeah, they're Autobots like Bumblebee. Optimus Prime is their leader." Sam explained.

"You know, I don't think anyone asked- how'd you get mixed up in this Mikaela?" Kagome asked.

"One day I'm befriending one of the few boys in school who isn't a jerk or a creep, the next he's running from his own car on his mom's bike and I wind up witness to a droid death match." Mikaela explained.

Kagome chuckled. "Must've been quite a sight."

"I've been wondering, how come you're so calm about all of this?" Sam asked.

"Well, that's a long story. Despite the non organic aliens without proof I'd just sound crazy." Kagome admitted, "Let's just say… what's the American expression? This isn't my first rodeo."

Suddenly vehicles were chasing them and actively running other cars off the road or flipping them over.

"No no no." Sam groaned.

"What?" Mikaela asked.

"It's the same cop." Sam pointed out.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about but apparently those are the Decepticons you mentioned." Kagome commented.

"Block them, block them block them." Sam chanted.

One of them transformed back to its bot form mid drive. Unlike Bumblebee Kagome noted he had red eyes. The semi- Optimus himself apparently- transformed and moved to intercept him. Kagome winced as they fell to a lower level of the highway and out of sight.

"If the other Autobots aren't worried he can probably take care of himself." Kagome assured the distressed teens.

Soon enough they were in the heart of downtown Mission City. Aside from Lennox making a pit stop to get a hold of some radios, they kept moving. Once they were finally stopped Lennox wasted no time in mobilizing his men and ordering them into position. That was when the saw an aircraft- one that was below the highest point of the city's tallest skyscraper. Kagome didn't know how to tell if it was friendly or not but it make her suspicious.

"Air force has arrived!" Lennox said, "Pop smoke."

"Raptor raptor do you copy?" Epps asked into the radio, "We have you visual. Green smoke is the mark. Provide air cover and vector Black Hawks for extraction."

Suddenly the black truck transformed.

"It's Starscream!" Ironhide shouted in warning.

"Please tell me you copy." Epps practically begged.

The rest of the Autobots transformed too.

"Back up! Take cover. Bumblebee!" Ironhide ordered.

As Lennox tried to get his men and the surrounding civilians out of the way Ironhide and Bumblebee worked together to lift a delivery truck and position it as a shield of sorts.

"Back up. Back up!" Ironhide warned.

"Retreat! Fall back." Lennox shouted.

"Incoming!" Ironhide called out.

Then a missile hit. The delivery truck exploded and everyone was sent flying back. Kagome and Lennox immediately checked whether everyone was okay. Amazingly enough none of the humans needed medical aid yet. But Bumblebee wasn't so lucky.

"Ratchet!" Sam shouted.

"What the hell was that?" Lennox asked angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Epps retorted.

"What do you mean what am I talking about? They shot at us!" Lennox elaboratd.

"F-22 pilots would never fly below buildings." Epps pointed out, "That's alien. That ain't friendly."

As the soldiers' two commanding officers fought and the Autobots prepared for the imminent battle Kagome's mind was racing. What about the civilians? The ones just now barely got out in time. As Sam and Mikaela struggled to help Bumblebee Kagome scrambled to check on the injured and point fleeing civilians in a direction that actually led to safety. Ahead and around them the soldiers did what they could as the battle began in earnest. Suddenly an aircraft landed and transformed to reveal an all too familiar red-eyed bot. The bot that seemed to bet the medic called for a retreat.

A silver bot that transformed into a Pontiac Solstice bought everyone else time to escape from Megatron. Suddenly he made to go after Megatron, and Kagome had a really bad feeling. So, Kagome did what she always did in Feudal Japan when someone needed help. She rushed after him. She reached him just in time to see Megatron about to pull Jazz- the silver bot in question- in half. Seeing a fallen grenade launcher Kagome grabbed it and braced herself against an abandoned minivan. Then, summoning up the aim she'd developed from archery and the lesson in firearms safety she'd taken, Kagome shot right at Megatron's wrist and dove to a hiding spot in a different direction. Megatron dropped Jazz with a roar and fired a missile at the minivan. Then Optimus showed up, and Megatron rushed to engage him in a fight.

Kagome was at the fallen bot's side in an instant. His middle was dented and cracked, there was damage from the impact and he had a couple of other major injuries the impact with the ground made worse. The were a sensation from the jewel, which never left Kagome's pocket. It was like it was encouraging her to do something. But what? She could still access her spirit energy, but it didn't work anymore. When Kagome practiced her aim in archery while visiting the shrine she could make her arrows glow, but as if most of her abilities came from the jewel the targets remained undamaged save from the arrowhead's entry point. The color of her manifested power even changed in color- her arrows didn't glow pink anymore. Instead the glow was blue, though only at first. It slowly changed shades until the glow was green. Then as she thought Kagome's hand brushed her side as she fumbled to mess with something in her pocket- and it hit her.

Once, a Buddhist temple that offered room and board while Kagome and her friends had business in the nearby village they met a villager who visited the temple fairly regularly- as a child, he'd been denied a spot as an apprentice to satisfy a whim of his grandfather despite being the only one save for an overworked priestess at the temple and a sickly priest from the nearest Shinto shrine to have actual spiritual power. So he'd trained and experimented in his own time, and learned to use his power to heal. Kagome's arm would've had a bad scar from a serious gash if it weren't for him. She was pretty sure Kikyou had managed to speed up Inuyasha's already considerable healing once, too. Inspired, Kagome took the jewel out of her pocket to grasp like a good luck charm, put her hands on Jazz's side and did what she'd only ever done a couple of times- she channeled her spirit energy to her hands. Focusing on her intent and what Jazz had looked like uninjured, Kagome poured what power she could without hurting herself into the injured bot. Despite expectations and Kagome's fears it worked- Jazz's eyes and veins glowed an even more intense blue than the Autobots' eyes already were and Jazz gasped; then almost instantaneously he was healed.

Blinking, Jazz raised himself into a sitting position, leaning on one hand as support and looking between his uninjured torso and Kagome in shock. "Whatever you did you've got my thanks, lil' lady. I was almost sleepin' with the fishes."

Kagome smiled. "Don't mention it."

With that Jazz was back in the fray and Kagome caught up to the soldiers and gave treatment where needed and possible. Suddenly when things seemed hopeless for Lennox and his team Mikaela and Bee came rushing back, Bee shooting at the Decepticon while Mikaela drove. Finally the Decepticon was dead, and everyone had a moment to breath. Then a Decepticion with an army helicopter for an alt mode showed up, only to be killed moments later with some coordination with the air force. After struggling to kill or chase off Starscream another attack from the air crafts managed to slow Megatron down. It looked like things would end badly when Megatron caught up to Sam.

"I'll kill you. Mine! Allspark!" Megatron growled threateningly as Sam struggled to back towards Optimus and potential safety.

It almost reminded Kagome of the demons that were barely sentient enough to talk.

"Sam! Put the Cube in my chest now!" Optimus demanded, only for Sam to get to his feet… and hold it up to Megatron's chest right where his spark was, "Sam! No, Sam!"

The Allspark phased into Megatron's spark in a blaze of fiery light, and Megatron could only claw at his chest and choke. Then almost anticlimactically, as most death was in real life, the Decepticon leader simply fell to the ground dead. Optimus stood up and looked down at the corpse of one he seemed to have been close to once upon a time as if in disbelief or to check Megatron was truly gone.

"You left me no choice, brother." Optimus mumbled sadly as everyone gathered around the scene; and then Optimus knelt down to address Sam, "Sam, I owe you my life. We are in your debt."

Sam looked awed. Ten he got distracted by Mikaela and Bumblebee's arrival.

"Prime, this planet seems to hold more in store for us." Jazz reported, "Kagome here saved my life."

"Then it seems we owe her a well." Optimus noted, "We have lost our objective but gained new comrades. Thank you, all of you. You honor us with your bravery."

"Permission to speak, sir?" Bumblebee asked, using his real voice for the first time.

"Permission granted, old friend." Optimus replied.

"You speak now?" Sam noted.

"I wish to stay with the boy." Bumblebee requested.

"If that is his wish." Optimus conceded.

Sam looked at Bumblebee affectionately and nodded. "Yes."

Behind them Optimus knelt and grabbed a surviving sliver of the Allspark from the red-hot hole in Megatron's chest. Kagome barely noticed, though. She watched as the boy and young bot seemed to hold a conversation without words. Kagome knew those expressions well, even on a less malleable face like Bumblebee's. She knew beyond any doubt that this adventure had forged a bond between Sam and Bumblebee that nothing could or would ever break. Kagome's hand tightened into a fist, and she vowed silently to herself that she would protect that bond and the soldiers' newfound comradery and sprouting friendship with the Autobots with everything she had and was. They had won the right to forge a path to a happily ever after fair and square, and Kagome intended to ensure they got there.

 **End of Chapter**


	5. Chapter 4

Note: Sorry this one took so long. Updates might be frustratingly slow as I progress to covering Revenge of the Fallen, I'm watching some of the older Transformers cartoons and I'm using the opportunity to figure and additional changes or added characters to go for. As it is now my only reliable knowledge are the live action movies and Transformers Prime.

 **Chapter Four**

Once Maggie, Glen, Secretary Keller are retrieved everyone who was involved in the battle at Mission City that wasn't a soldier in need of a hospital were moved to a military base in Nevada that amazingly enough turned out to be in a central location between Tranquility, Nevada and Lennox's home in Utah. They were met there by a balding man, a frantic and angry red headed woman and their Chihuahua Mojo, Sam's family. Judy Witwicky immediately captured Sam and Mikaela in a bear hug, going between fussing over the teens' well being and bemoaning she didn't have a chance to introduce Simmons to her baseball bat fast enough to make all the men's heads spin, both human and bot. Kagome just hoped she would be allowed to watch the show.

"I think I'll like you. My first boyfriend certainly wouldn't have had the guts to use me as a replacement for his ex if my mother had even half your temper." Kagome chuckled, "Just give me time to grab the camcorder my grandpa dumped on my and some popcorn first."

Judy smiled brightly. "Oh, what delightful young woman. Do I have you to thank for being reunited with my boy?"

Kagome chuckled. "No, but I'm sure that the ones actually responsible for everything turning out so well will want to explain the situation themselves."

Though shocked at the reveal of giant aliens the couple took meeting the Autobots pretty well, though Kagome made a note to herself to have Mojo kept far away from anywhere the Autobots were allowed to access after she noted the scowl Ironhide shot the little dog. In fact once Ron and Judy had the whole story Judy proceeded to adopt the Autobots for being so good to Sam and saving the world. Kagome swore Bumblebee even blushed when the woman fussed over him in particular due to what Sector Seven did and the fact that Ratchet hadn't yet had the opportunity to fix the younger mech's legs.

After that little reunion and getting Ratchet a set of unused chambers to use as a makeshift med bay everyone else took the opportunity to regain their breath so to speak Kagome made her move. She wasted no time in writing and sending off a report and a series of emails detailing the full story and how she recommended the aftermath be addressed. This mostly involved making the Autobots allies to the United Nations, full cooperation in dealing with the Decepticons in the future, providing everything needed to ensure the friendly aliens had the best quality of life it was possible for them to have on an organic planet, and last but not least ensuring that Sector Seven wouldn't be able to use such monstrous methods to deal with aliens in the future.

That evening around the time Kagome was pretty sure her grandfather would usually be getting ready for his daily trip to his friend's house for their daily round of tea and shogi she retrieved a frantic call. _"Kagome are you alright? There's been news of an attack on a city in America. It says it was the work of terrorists but I'm convinced it must be the work of demons!"_

Kagome snorted; she doubted a warlord who basically destroyed his own home planet- or maybe it was let his army destroy it- would be above cavorting with the sort of beings that westerners thought of when the word 'demon' came up, but though Megatron was undoubtedly a prime example of the phrase 'harbinger of death and destruction' and apparently his species was at least as long lived as the sort of demons Kagome used to he was far from actually being a demon in either sense of the word. _"No, Gramps. My boss and the committee at the UN assigned me as a representative and I can tell you that demons weren't involved."_

" _How can you be sure?"_ her grandfather asked, _"It's not like any of those friends of yours are conveniently around to keep you up to date."_

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose as she reminded herself not to hurt or offend her grandfather; she wasn't a teenager anymore and she was determined to be patient instead of sarcastic or mean when her grandfather was being particularly senile. _"Gramps, I've moved on and even Souta's let it go. You should too. If there was anything left of that life to find something would've changed by now."_

On the other end of the line Kagome's grandfather sighed quietly. Though his daughter in law was loving and supportive he had always been the observant one and the source of comfort where Kagome's feelings and well being were concerned and he quite aware that despite being happy to have danger out of her life his elder grandchild had spent most of his teenage years hoping to reunite with at least one of her less human friends.

" _I trust your judgment Kagome. You know that."_ her grandfather assured, before insisting _"But I still say that there was some kind of cover up!"_

Kagome chuckled, he could be pretty senile and when she was younger she used to be convinced that he was insane but her grandfather actually had a pretty good eye for that sort of thing if it wasn't spiritual or demon related. _"I promise I'll fill you, Mama and Souta in. But that'll have to wait for my next visit- this is the sort of 'top secret' best not discussed over the phone."_

After those involved with the United States' politics and military had all been debriefed and Kagome and the teens gave their input regarding the aliens who fought beside rather than against them everyone is given permission to return to their lives. Though Sector Seven was quickly shut down, the president didn't necessarily make many smart decisions but he was at least smart enough to avoid angering gigantic metal aliens and the United Nations. Kagome herself was granted leave to return to Japan for a week or two by her superior.

To Kagome's only semi secret delight, Jazz offers to go with her. It might've had something to do with the Decepticons or the trick she pulled but Kagome wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If it had as much to do with the fact that it meant she had further opportunity to be involved in something _more_ or at least close to those who were as it did the way she found befriending the friendly, easygoing mech almost as easy as breathing that was her little secret. She wasn't about to risk giving her new friends the impression she was only in this for the adrenaline or to seem cool.

Kagome was barely out of the front passenger seat when her mother was rushing to her side to sweep her up into a hug; a brief glimpse showed that Jazz's holoform had already disappeared. "Oh Kagome dear, I had no idea you were coming home! If you told me I would've gotten the ingredients I need to make oden for dinner."

Kagome smiled and returned the hug. "I wanted to surprise you. Are Grandpa and Souta around? I have a new friend to introduce you to and one heck of a story."

Kagome's mother pulled away just enough to grasp her shoulders and look her in the eye. "Kagome, do you mean you found-"

Kagome shook her head, an amused smile on her lips but a tinge of sorrow in her eyes. "No, nothing like that. I think they're really all gone. This is just as unbelievable, though."

Kagome's mother, never seeming phased by anything and rarely showing it when she was, smiled. "All right, dear. It should only take a moment."

Jazz spoke up once the older woman was out of earshot. "You sure about this?"

Kagome turned to face him so he could see her expression. "Let's just say the story behind how I healed you is also how I know my family can be trusted to keep a secret this big."

If Jazz hadn't been in his alt mode or had at least still been using his holoform, a slight frown of concern could've been seen briefly. Whatever had happened to Kagome in the past, it had effected her more than the quest for the Allspark had Sam and Mikaela. But he already knew this human could be trusted, and that she would give more details eventually. As it was neither was the case so nothing gave him away. And it wasn't Jazz's place to pry anyway. So Jazz did as he usually did- he went with the flow.

"I trust you. You sure they can take something like this?" Jazz said.

Kagome's expression shifted to exasperated amusement as she rolled her eyes as she remembered her family's antics where anything related to her time in Feudal Japan was concerned. "They can definitely handle it."

"This could get dangerous if any lingering Decepticons get it into their heads that your family is involved, you know." Jazz warned.

Kagome scoffed and shot Jazz a sneaky grin. "They'd have to figure out that they know first."

Jazz chuckled. "You got me there."

That was when Kagome's family came out.

"What's so important, mom? I was right in the middle of a boss fight." Souta whined.

"Be patient, Souta. I promise this is worth it." Kagome's mother laughed.

Just then Kagome's grandfather saw her.

"Kagome! This is a pleasant surprise." the old man said, pulling Kagome into a hug.

Souta joined in on the hug too. "Sis! I really missed you. But what are you doing back? I thought you had work."

"I've been given the week off. Plus I've got a new friend to introduce you to." Kagome explained, "The shrine's empty right now right?"

"Yes, it is. Why?" Kagome's mother replied.

Jazz transformed. "Nice to meet'cha. Name's Jazz."

The three gazed up at him in amazement. Jazz winked at Kagome cheekily then vaulted off the ground with a flip, transforming back to his alt mode as he landed. Jazz's holoform materialized and leaned against the hood. Finally the silence was broken.

"That was awesome!" Souta cheered.

Jazz bowed dramatically. "Well thank you lil' man."

"Jazz, this is my mother, my grandfather, and my little brother Souta." Kagome introduced, "Guys, this is a new friend of mine. I know he looks like something out of a mecha anime but he's actually a robotic alien."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you." Kagome's mother greeted.

"Kagome, how on Earth did you meet him?" Kagome's grandfather asked in astonishment.

"His and his friends' enemies were responsible for the attack on the US base in Qatar and the virus that took down communications worldwide." Kagome explained, "Mission City was where everything came to a head."

"I'm part of a group called the Autobots, one of two rival factions on my home planet Cybertron." Jazz explained, "We've been at war with the Decepticons for a long time, and we followed them to Earth to keep them from using the last hope of restoring our planet as a weapon."

"Decepticons? What are those?" Kagome's grandfather questioned.

"The Autobots' enemies. They're basically harbingers of death and destruction and their minions." Kagome elaborated, "They were supposedly trying for world or galactic domination, only they tend to destroy everything in their path and are more liable to cause multiple apocalypses."

"And now that everything is over, my leader Optimus has hopes we can make this our new home." Jazz admitted.

Jazz entertained a few more questions when the meet-and-greet session was brought screeching to a halt by unexpected company showed up. It was Kagome's old school friend, Hojo. Kagome's reaction made it quickly apparent that something was amiss, which prompted Jazz to lean on her arm in a manner that could be taken as platonic or otherwise to subtly serve as a shield in case the intruder tried something. Kagome revealed something alarming- she hadn't told _anyone_ currently in Japan that she'd chosen to visit her family for her short break, not even when the Autobots weren't around to overhear her end of the call. A few pointed questions later made it apparent that some time after choosing different high schools separated them Hojo had taken to stalking Kagome, and had been alerted by a relative who worked at the airport Kagome and Jazz had landed at that she'd returned to Japan. One call to the police and a restraining order later, and the mini vacation was peaceful once more.

"What was his story? I don't get how he thought you ever gave him the time of day." Jazz asked.

"We went to middle school together. At one point I thought he was a friend- as much as someone you didn't bother to get to know outside of school could be anyway." Kagome explained, "Back then even though he was plain and boring, the only things creepy about him were how he thought remedies and treatments from his parents' health store made good presents and the way he assumed I liked him back. Still, a lot of the other girls thought he was cute and he was on the student council so he was pretty popular. When he asked me out my friends accepted on my behalf without my permission and things snowballed from there."

"Your friends didn't even get your opinion on him first?" Jazz asked incredulously.

"See, that school year I met this boy on my birthday. We didn't get along at all at first, and have argued all the time the rest of the time we knew each other. But by the time I brought him up to them I'd come to at least see him as a friend." Kagome admitted, "They didn't learn until college that a guy and a girl could just be friend, so they assumed he was my boyfriend before I even liked him that way. I guess that's where it all really started…"

"What does that have to do with it?" Jazz said, getting increasingly incredulous.

Even when trying to play matchmaker Cybertronians took their friend or relative's taste into account, after all. And even Decepticons usually knew not to push when rejected. If handled wrong breaking a marriage bond was messy or even painful after all. Assuming things even got that far. Jazz wagered Optimus had no idea just how lucky they were that reproduction without the Allspark was so tricky and sparklings considered so sacred as a result that despite everything else that happened in the war the Decepticons at least respected that much. Things could always be worse. But Jazz was getting distracted, he'd have to think about that- and maybe ask Kagome questions on how the subject went for humans- later.

"He wasn't a bad person, whatever impression I may have accidentally given them." Kagome said "But he was a jerk, and he constantly compared me to his ex. Even claimed I looked like her. One day we were slowly growing closer then she comes back into his life looking exactly the same but clearly changed in the ways that mattered… I just didn't rate when compared to his memories of their relationship, I guess because he always ran to her when she was nearby. The details are an unrelated story for another time. Long story short, my friends only paid enough attention to what I said to get the impression I was dating a two timer and were convinced that I deserved better."

Jazz snorted. "And he was their idea of 'better'?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "They were boy crazy and lost in their own worlds. They hadn't learned how to listen to things that contradicted their perceptions of reality yet. But even though I didn't learn it for a couple of years, and they went about it entirely the wrong way… They were right in the end. I don't think I'd have had the luck of meeting your or the other Autobots if I hadn't realized that."

Jazz sensed they were getting onto a couple of particularly sensitive subjects and he wasn't one to ruin a vacation with brooding so he let it drop, there was always a chance to get more details another time; he elbowed Kagome's arm playfully. "Well now you're stuck with me."

Kagome gave him one of the most blinding smiles he'd ever seen. "You know, I think I really wouldn't have it any other way. You're already a great friend, Jazz."

Four days later the vacation was cut short. Since Kagome was in Japan, the prime minister called her in for a meeting regarding recent events. It was also requested that if possible, Jazz attend the meeting with her. Nothing seemed out of place with the prime minister or his office besides an envelope that seemed strangely small for anything regarding politics. After the standard greetings and 'how do you dos' they got right to business.

"Miss Higurashi, do you know why I brought you here today?" the prime minister asked.

"My guess was that you had questions regarding recent events or that complications had arisen." Kagome answered.

The middle aged man hummed thoughtfully. "What do you know regarding actions being taken in the aftermath of the battle against the Decepticons?"

"The Autobots' leader has been stuck in negotiations ever since a base was provided for them to stay at, but according to my superior the UN is at least considering my suggestion regarding a proper alliance." Kagome said, "There were rumors that if thing go well the American soldiers involved willing to continue contact will be the first members of a team whose purpose is specifically to cooperate with the Autobots in defense against the Decepticons. If you'll pardon my speaking bluntly before I left it seemed like it would take direct intervention from the UN to make the US stop treating the Autobots like tools or weapons they could claim and control just because these real life aliens don't have flesh, fur, feathers, or scales."

Jazz quietly snorted in amusement, humans weren't the first warmongering primitives who liked to try to bite off more than they could chew he'd heard of- regardless of how most of the civilians seemed an all right sort- and likely wouldn't be the last.

Old enough to be used to younger, fresher politicians' trouble putting the right amount of formality and delicacy to their words and young enough not to mind certain types of politicians' occasional insistence on being as blunt and honest as they could get away with the prime minister didn't bat an eye. "Succinctly put. After going over the information and coming to the conclusion that short of resorting to nuclear warfare humans facing the Decepticons unaided requires an unacceptable level of risk the committee moved forward with your suggestions and the UN has agreed to cooperate with and help the Autobots as much as the required level of secrecy allows. As part of the alliance and a gesture of goodwill, ambassadors and liaisons will be required."

"I'm pleased things are working out, sir but I have a feeling you wouldn't bring me in just to tell me this." Kagome said.

The prime minister smiled slightly. "As you are a familiar face who I hear made a very good impression the leader of the Autobots has put forward a request that you be the one to represent Japan. After some consideration the request has been accepted. Congratulations, Miss Higurashi you are Japan's first ambassador and liaison to an alien species."

Kagome seemed shocked for a moment, and then she sent an excited look to Jazz. "I don't believe I can express how honored I am or how excited I am for the opportunity, sir. But I have to know… I'm fairly new, so how did I actually get approved? Is it a gesture of goodwill?"

Jazz grinned. "Looks like Prime took my advice."

"The American president and Sector Seven aren't the only ones with secrets, Miss Higurashi." the prime minister shot her a knowing look then moved the envelope closer to her, "I think if you open this you'll understand."

Kagome opened the envelope, and took out the contents… only to drop them in shock the moment she laid eye on the contents. "What is… how- This shouldn't…"

"Science has dated them as roughly 500 years old." the prime minister mentioned.

Concerned at Kagome's reaction and the sympathetic look the prime minister was shooting the young woman Jazz was aware was basically a stranger to him, Jazz picked up a series of impossible photographs taken by an instant camera. They were fully colored, yet clearly much older than even the oldest black and white photographs. Some were torn or otherwise damaged by time, water or the weather. And the contents were the most impossible thing about them. A quick search of the internet told Jazz that the clothing was from Japan's feudal era 500 years in the past, back when Japan barely had firearms. Some of them showed a teenage boy with long silver hair, golden eyes and dog ears. Some showed a red headed child with the tail, legs and feet of a fox. An old woman with an eye patch in red and white clothing, a woman wielding a gigantic boomerang and a young Buddhist monk, and a strange feline with two tails were the other most featured figures. But a couple of them also contained a young man wearing furs who seemed to have a tail, and a young man with coloring similar to the teenage boy and strange markings Jazz almost wrote off as tattoos accompanied by a little girl Jazz thought resembled Kagome, a toad like creature and a horse like reptile with two heads. Jazz wasn't surprised at the evidence of things humans deemed impossible. After all according to research most of humanity wrote aliens or at lest their presence on Earth as impossible or a ridiculous conspiracy yet here he was. And the photographs' survival though against the odds wasn't by an means impossible, more fragile things that were far older survived to be placed in museums after all. What even Cybertronians deemed impossible, though was something that implied how 500 year old photographs existed- a photo containing all of these people featured a teenage girl in a stereotypical sailor style school uniform with a yellow backpack laid at her feet, clearly Kagome herself.

"A team of archeologists and historians found them roughly 27 years ago searching an ancient manner and the ruins of a village lying on its property, and the government funded museum they did the work for immediately listed them as classified and kept them from public knowledge. Evidence of things of myths having once been real has come up in the past and been deemed… too controversial for humanity's current mindset to accept." the prime minister explained, "It was by chance that you were recognized when you went missing for three days, but it was written off until you applied for that internship. A discrepancy in the records for your final year of middle school was noticed and further investigation implied a connection to the legends surrounding the well and sacred tree on your family's shrine. Your superior originally wanted to find another capacity for your continued contact with the Autobots before Optimus Prime specifically requested your aid, given the implications of the evidence the emperor and I don't feel anyone on Earth is as qualified as you."

Kagome took a shaky breath to ground herself, then looked through the photos to distract herself; there were notes and comments regarding the subjects of the photos or the events depicted covering the back of most of them, some in the form of arguments between two or more writers. "Thank you, Prime Minister. This opportunity is an honor, and… though the twist was unexpected, it's nice to have some form of closure. I... please, may I keep these? I've made my peace, but to have a real memento…"

The prime minister smiled sadly. "Of course, Miss Higurashi. You'll be given two days to make any necessary arrangements and your accommodations funds for business trips have been refilled. Have a good day."

"You too, sir." Kagome said, then farewells were exchanged and Kagome and Jazz left.

Once they were in Jazz's alt mode Kagome's façade fell. Jazz tinted his windows to the point of resembling one way mirrors and his holoform pulled her to half sit on the console so he could hold her while she cried silently. He had an excuse to ask her for that story she'd promised, but this wasn't the time. This wasn't the war on Cybertron or the race to discover the fates of the Allspark and Megatron, placing the comfort and emotional well being of his friends first didn't come with risks anymore unless things changed again.

 **End of Chapter**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Dawn faded to early morning quietly and peacefully on the base. Still technically on leave or at least without training or pressing duties, most of the humans were asleep and those that weren't were only just getting ready for the day or sleeping. The Autobots for the most part were still recovering from battle, enjoying the reprieve or preparing for another day of improving their accommodations and negotiating with the human officials who were ready for the tasks ahead. Despite the days that passed, how much there was left to do and the lack of knowledge of how many Decepticons if any remained on Earth it was still very much the calm after the storm and everyone was enjoying it while they could- except for on the outdoor practice range, where a lone figure could be found.

 _Twang, thunk, twang, thunk, twang, thunk._ Kagome shot arrow after arrow, pausing only to aim at different vital spots in the silhouette taped to the target. She would never willingly use a bow and arrow as her weapon again if she ever had to fight to defend herself or others, it just never felt like it suited her. But ever since the end of her quest in Feudal Japan archery had been a good way to de-stress or clear her head when her preferred methods of relaxing wouldn't work or weren't available. And so when she and Jazz returned to the United States she brought the long disused set she had kept on the shrine. All the most fatal spots on the target had small clusters of arrows, the only sign of just how long she had been there. She fired mindlessly, the mess with Hojo, images of her misadventures as a teenager and the recent events with the Cybertronians and all of her past thoughts and hopes regarding what happened in Feudal Japan and the people there she'd come to care for plaguing her mind.

This was the sight that met Ironhide when he arrived to enjoy some target practice while he would have time to himself only to find it already occupied. He studied Kagome's handiwork assessingly. Kagome was good, much better than the weapons specialist would expect of someone who wasn't an athlete or a fighter. Or, Ironhide hadn't thought the sharp tongued but usually cheery woman wasn't a fighter outside of self defense or for others' protection. Yet regardless of whatever her take on violence might be she the almost mindless ease Kagome wielded the bow with spoke of experience that couldn't have been mere sport as research had led Ironhide was usually the case with humans who could handle outdated weaponry.

"Not bad. Your aim is about as good as I could expect from a human." Ironhide complimented.

Kagome huffed, and stopped to look at him; though she mostly appeared calm Ironhide saw in her expression a truth he was intimately familiar with- she had come to vent in a way that wouldn't end with unfairly taking her temper out on others. "Thanks… I think. Not that this is my best, mind you."

Well aware of the limitations of human vision and under the impression that hitting the bull's-eye at all was the best humans were capable of Ironhide snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Kagome raised and eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

Kagome didn't normally do what she was about to- it was cliché and wasteful, and she didn't often rise to stubborn hot heads' bait anymore. But she wasn't about to back down, and it was clear Ironhide still had a few things to learn about humans. So she took down the paper the silhouette was printed on to reveal the normal target it had been taped to. Then picked her bow back up and backed up until she was just in front of Ironhide. Then she unleashed three arrows in quick succession, not leaving more than a second between each release. The first arrow landed in the dead center of the bulls'-eye only to be split in half by the second, which was split in half by the third arrow in turn.

Ironhide whistled appreciatively. "Impressive. Granted, an outdated thing like that piece of wood won't do anything to protect you and I'll take a gun or cannon over that sort of weapon any day. But you did good."

"This… I _don't_ use this as an actual weapon anymore. Not that I never have, or won't in a scenario where it's all I've got. But…" Kagome shook her head, "In any case it's not like I don't have _any_ self defense training that will actually come in handy."

"Then, what? Just keeping your skills sharp? Or keeping it up for nostalgia?" Ironhide guessed.

"Something like that." Kagome agreed. "I hated every minute of the fighting… not that I'm a pacifist. I learned the hard way that sometimes doing the right thing means taking a stand in a way you wish you didn't have to. But the people I befriended because of the reason I ever needed to learn… I don't have a single regret, but I miss them."

Ironhide sat down with a grunt to make conversation easier.

"Bah, let's cut to the chase. A bot with a temper like mine knows using practice to vent when they see it. I'm the last bot to ask for advice on things that can't be solved with violence, but I'm willing to lend an ear." Ironhide offered gruffly.

Kagome smiled briefly and sat on the fence to keep onlookers out of the practice area for a better vantage point. Then she sighed.

"I'll be upfront with you; this is tied in to the explanation I owe the Autobots over my small role in Mission City. There's not much detail I can give without sounding crazy to most humans, and it's a long enough story it doesn't make sense to tell it more than once." Kagome admitted. "What I can say openly is that to begin with I was already frustrated because my trip back home was interrupted by a stalker who used to be someone I trusted. I mean, he was close to my childhood friends, and when I was fifteen he helped me keep my grades in school from slipping as much as they did. I thought he was just so naïve and oblivious my hints I wasn't interested in him weren't obvious enough."

Ironhide's eyes narrowed; he knew exactly what she was getting at and the way it almost seemed a societal norm for humans to disrespect the autonomy of their women and their young and it was one of the reasons the race typically disgusted and frustrated him. "What happened?"

"He showed up when he should've had no idea I was even in the country. If Jazz hadn't been there to help me keep things from escalating it's possible I'd have needed to call the cops instead of just file a restraining order." Kagome explained, "If it was just that my head might've been clearer right now. But then the prime minister's secretary called me in to interrupt the rest of my vacation…"

Now Ironhide was confused. "You mean when you were informed of Optimus' decision? You seemed content enough to accept the offer. Did something happen?"

"Not… exactly. They did originally intend to find another way I could continue my affiliation with the Autobots. But the reason they did appoint me their ambassador over someone with more experience in diplomacy…" Kagome trailed off, shaking her head to keep her head clear. "It threw me for a loop. I never even expected the reason I was able to heal Jazz to be a thing with me ever again. So a blast from the past like that... It was just a lot at once."

Ironhide's brows furrowed in confusion. "What kind of reason could he have had? You're a relatively young politician on a planet of organics dealing with aliens made of metal instead of flesh."

Kagome sighed. "Even if I didn't prefer to only tell the story once it's long enough to derail the conversation. Let's just say that when I was fifteen I was in Sam's shoes."

"What do you mean you were in his shoes?" Ironhide asked, then added sharply "And I don't mean I don't understand the phrase."

"A situation way over my head that a lot of humans would write off as impossible and therefore label me crazy or a liar if I told them. Nervous and scared at first, and wanting nothing more than for things to go back to normal. But not being able to, because too many people would suffer the consequences if you turned your back. Coming out of it changed for the better, and with friends you wouldn't give up for the world." Kagome listed, "But I got the 'and then she was thrust back into her old life as if nothing ever happened' ending."

Ironhide was still confused, but humans were such skeptics he believed her. "I see… I think. So, what? Nostalgia hit you? Or how much you miss them?"

"It's more complicated than that." Kagome admitted, "For three years I held onto hope that I could see them again or that my life at least wouldn't stay boring and mundane. I almost let it control my life. Then against all odds I got a one chance only opportunity to go back… and I didn't take it. I didn't want the life taking the chance would land me with anymore, and I had moved on from the main reason I would've gone. So instead I accepted that it was over and finally moved on. So this… it was so jarring my mind won't stop dwelling on what-ifs and belated realizations."

Ironhide sighed deeply, somehow he was reminded of all the times he'd been stuck as the one younger bots such a Bumblebee and the gladiator twins turned to when in need of advice or comfort during their vulnerable moments. Why did younglings and bots that were barely adults always hit him with the hardest questions during those moments? Ironhide was the weapons' specialist, a real life variant of the 'shoot now, ask questions later' cliché only with good enough aim he could usually keep enemies alive for questioning. Not a therapist or a shoulder to cry on. But then he was getting off subject, and that didn't matter at the moment. This impressive human femme was in need of support.

Look, Kagome… I'm not the best with this slag." Ironhide started, rubbing the back of his head, "'m not a negotiator or a therapist, I'm the guy so good at shooting things I was made an officer so I could be in charge of artillery and the snipers. But it sounds like you avoided falling into or purposely putting yourself into a pretty unhealthy place, even if just mentally. So if you did the best you could by the people time and distance separated you from and you have no regrets… Well, just look at you. I'd say you're doing pretty well for yourself. If they're not proud of who you've become or resent you for doing what was best for you, they didn't deserve you."

Kagome's eyes widened, and then she smiled.

"You're not bad at all, Ironhide. Plenty of other gruff guys who prefer to solve things with violence are jerks or tactless. Or so obsessed with not looking soft they tend to hurt people they care about." She got down from Ironhide and retreated to prepare for the day and let the mech have the practice range to himself. "Don't ever change, okay? The world needs more tough guys that aren't ashamed of their softer side."

Kagome never noticed the way Ironhide's eyes followed her as she walked away. Yes, the weapons specialist was typical in that he didn't exactly showcase his softer side around those he didn't explicitly trust often. But for someone to say outright that he was all the better for it? To prefer him both ways, even. That was something else entirely. He wondered just what that story was that someone so young who hadn't grown up in war could be so wise and self aware.

Optimus' request for the story Kagome had promised came sooner than either expected. The very next day- the same day Bumblebee was cleared with a clean bill of health- Kagome and the Autobots met in Ratchet's makeshift med bay away from any potential eavesdropping humans. Not to say Kagome distrusted Lennox, Epps and their fellow Qatar survivors. But non humans with long life spans were bound to better understand the need for secrecy, and Lennox and Epps, as the men in charge of the slowly forming operation had been alerted that the secret behind the ambassador's role in Mission City was need-to-know unless the impossible should happen and completely unrelated to the revelation that aliens are not only real but not always organic. And at last, Kagome admitted her tale of time travel, inhuman beings also native to Earth, abilities powered by one's very soul that bordered on magic. A story of tragedy, betrayal, revenge, love, friendship and learning to move on.

"So your spirit energy s'what healed me?" Jazz noted.

Kagome shook her head. "Sort of… but it's more complicated than that. I only picked up or noticed two or three abilities completely on accident. And my purification arrows were the only one of them I could properly control. Nobody ever trained me or offered to, so I'm lucky I can manifest my power without a bow and arrow at all. See, what my friends never had a chance to discover and I never told my family is- the Shikon's power and the souls it contained left, but the physical form remained."

"Powerful artifacts are notoriously difficult to truly get rid of." Optimus voiced seriously. "Will that be a problem?"

Kagome shook her head quickly.

"No, of course not! I'd have thrown it into a bonfire or dropped it into a volcano if it was still more than a hunk of crystal." she assured. "But the thing is- once it _became_ just a chunk of crystal my spirit energy changed color. Then after I decided to move on instead of take my only chance to return to the Feudal Era it changed colors again around the same time I decided to go into diplomacy. And they've been weak so long that even if the jewel was a tiny boost instead of just a good luck charm I don't know how I had enough power for my attempt to heal Jazz to work."

"So, what exactly are you saying?" Ratchet asked.

"I'm saying a series of crazy sounding things I went through as a teenager resulted in my being able to pull off a miracle, and though I'm really happy my long shot worked once but I wouldn't count on a repeat because it was probably luck." Kagome elaborated, "Supposing it's more than luck or a miracle? It's entirely possible I used up what power I had left."

Finally, Optimus' and Jazz's talks with the president of the United States and the United Nations' newly renamed Alien Relations Committee bore fruit. The Autobots were officially recognized as allies of the UN. As a result a multi nation task force designed to handle any Decepticons that still remained on Earth or decided to arrive on Earth and cause trouble. (At Kagome's recommendation based on her experience a clause for granting traitors to the Decepticon cause asylum was added, something Optimus later thanked her for.) Finally on the final day Optimus made a request to invite more Autobots to Earth as a chance to finally have a home again. The human officials present approved, and went a step further- Autobots and any unaligned Cybertronian who proved they weren't hostile were declared refugees, and welcome anywhere on Earth despite the continued need to keep up their disguise as vehicles. It was a good start, but Kagome knew this was only the beginning. And she was looking forward to what her future with her new friends would bring.

 **End of Chapter**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Time marched on, and once done dealing with the aftermath and recuperating from the ordeal back to work it was. There was a newly formed multinational military organization to set up after all. Kagome coordinated with Optimus, Ratchet, Jazz and the general it had been decided would be involved in the US' side of the task force the United Nations was creating to handle the mundane side of things. Administration, resources, deciding what amount of resources could be dedicated to extracurriculars. (With input from Lennox and Epps when they were free.) With as many nations involved as there were they were able to get quite a decent deal in terms of accommodations and more mundane resources. It was difficult to convince the US officials spear heading the operation that the Autobots couldn't just be cramped into a hanger or garage and subside on a portion of the operation's allocated fuel meant for vehicles and generators, and in fact that they way they actually functioned normally meant they needed similar accommodations to that provided to the humans, just bigger and adjusted for robotic beings.

Meanwhile, Ironhide took charge with coordinating the human soldiers' training to prepare them for facing the remaining Decepticons and get them used to cooperating and coordinating with the Autobots. It was a long, difficult adjustment for those who hadn't been part of Lennox' team or the squadron of air force pilots who had provided reinforcements at Mission City to see first hand what Cybertronians- and more to the point Decepticons- were capable of and how much they could handle before being injured. In fact it took Ironhide having Lennox and Epps demonstrate that it was very rare for ammo that could fit in a pistol or rifle to so much as dent. Every single soldier was impressed, shocked, annoyed or indignant when they few occasions Kagome could participate in training it was proven that while he stamina had to readjust (she wasn't a secret time traveler who traipsed all across Japan entirely by foot or someone who climbed hundreds of steps daily due to living on a shrine anymore after all.) she was actually the most competent in cooperating and coordinating with their inhuman allies and the most competent at holding her own when facing them.

There was only one detail before the real work could begin. Travel was one thing- N.E.S.T was allocated the resources needed to transport its soldiers both short range and long range, and every country involved, regardless of how much or how direct or indirect, allocated a base on their soil that would have its resources adjusted so it could be a satellite base where N.E.S.T could land when its work took them to that nation. Or more than one, when a country was simply too big for a single base to provide access to every corner of the nation it was located in. But they needed a home base where the Autobots and human soldiers could hold the bulk of their resources and could reside long term. (It wouldn't do to pull the humans from all over every time they were needed, after all.) The problem was most of the bases allocated had other purposes, or were otherwise unsuitable for their needs.

Luckily there was a light in the dark, so to speak. An island in the pacific called Diego Garcia was uninhabited. And they didn't even need to build from scratch. It was the site of a long since abandoned but still inhabitable base. Though Diego Garcia was mentioned in the records of those who had used it, the island wasn't actually the control or jurisdiction of any government. Luckily until things were ready there the Autobots and members of N.E.S.T were able to stay at the base they'd been taken to after Mission City was over.

Ironhide was Lennox' escort every time he had enough free time to take advantage of the opportunity to see his wife and infant daughter. It was adorable how Annabelle already had the mech wrapped around her finger just as much as she did her father, in Kagome's opinion. It made her smile to see how even despite how things weren't peaceful enough for the Autobots to put aside their weapons they still were able to find moments of respite and happiness.

Kagome herself spent a lot of her free time showing Jazz around or getting to know Judy Witwicky and Mikaela. Mikaela would need some female guidance who knew what keeping a big non-human involving secret was like. And Judy was a kind woman, though a force to be reckoned with when angry or annoyed. And Jazz' delight in soaking up human culture and especially human music? Well, she hadn't had so much fun in a long time.

And it turned out to be very lucky, too. Three and a half months after Mission City and seven months before Diego Garcia would be ready things started up again. Kagome had been planning on escorting Mikaela to an engineering convention in Las Vegas. It would be a good way for Mikaela to brush up on and boost her skills as a mechanic, and something of a mini vacation to boot. Since Kagome was in the area anyway she was visiting with Judy, showing the woman the joys of Japanese snacks and describing how soaking in warm water- especially a hot spring- was the ultimate way to relax, and she definitely should keep trying to convince Ron to either buy a hot tub or upgrade their bath tub to one of those delightful bath tub/hot tub combos. Then Jazz, who had been using his holoform to patrol the area just in case, discovered signs that one of the Decepticons who had survived Mission City to escape, had been stalking the Witwickys and Mikaela. A covert message later and the other Autobots and a few soldiers sent to covertly see to the civilian allies' safety were tracking the Decepticon down.

"That could've been a close one." Kagome noted. "Why do bad guys always have to be such sore losers?"

Ironhide snorted. "Cause the thugs that tend to join the Decepticon are used to being able to bully their way into getting their way, that's how."

Kagome thought back to Feudal Japan. Remembering all the humans she'd come across that made many demons she'd met look decent and the particularly unscrupulous demons who were a lot like the antagonists in period dramas. To the people she'd met or heard of since deciding on her current profession that displayed all the worst traits of humanity. To the things that drove her to make said choice in profession.

"Yeah… I've come across the type a lot more often than I like."

Ironhide looked towards her out of the corner of his eye. "Eh, don't sweat it. I may not particularly care for humans or most of what I've seen and heard but you, Lennox and the kids are mostly normal Earth is a pretty alright place compared to some of the worlds I've heard of."

"Oh? You mean like, Decepticon bad?"

"Not quite. See, there's this one group of solar systems where…" Ironhide spun a tale of a particularly bizarre borderline dystopian set of worlds, and when he discovered he actually had an interested audience he spent the rest of the time left before the Autobots and N.E.S.T troops returned to base describing worlds he'd seen or heard of and letting her in on some of the more common space farers' superstitions.

A few more months passed, and finally an all too familiar pseudo meteor shower happened, bringing with it the first additions the Autobots' numbers. It was two mechs- A cheerful, chatty bot named Bluestreak whose doors resembled wings in bot mode. And a mischievous bot with a red paint job named Sideswipe, whose presence Ironhide & Ratchet both bemoaned and welcomed. Somehow Sideswipe seemed familiar, though more peripherally than in the sense that it felt like she'd met him before despite knowing that wasn't the case. Her mind turned to the strange incident around the time she'd first been discovering the injustices that enforced her decision on how she'd try to do her part in making sure that prejudice didn't result in any more widespread tragedies within her or her immediate kin's lifetimes. One she hadn't ever really thought about but was beginning to realize may be connected to the current turn her life was taking. And the face of a bright yellow painted mech both like and dislike Sideswipe in looks flashed through her mind. And determination to complete a goal she couldn't even name swept through her.

Sideswipe looked over Kagome critically as if searching for something, though what he was after or judging on only he knew. "So this is one of the liaisons? She's pretty, for a human."

Kagome wanted to face-palm, what was with guys faced with something unfamiliar to them and backhanded compliments? But at the same time, she actually was flattered. While she had had her fair share of guys interested in her she rarely got told by anyone other than her mother or grandfather that she was pretty. Plus, despite being pretty different he did remind her a bit of Shippo. One end of her lips twitched upwards in the beginning of a smirk as she recalled some of the more memorable times Shippo had gotten back at Inuyasha for being cruel to him or generally being a grouch.

"Thanks… I think. You're the one who, uh… 'redecorated' the rec room right? The looks on Ratchet's and Ironhide's faces were funnier than watching the soldiers try to deal with it."

Sideswipe grinned. "It's always nice to have one's work appreciated."

That was when Jazz came in, finally done checking in with Optimus after having been her escort to yet another meeting. Making sure the politicians and military leaders involved stayed true to the agreements and treaties and didn't try to pull something messed up that wasn't already spelled out as bad or off limits was exhausting and required a lot of travel, but it was necessary. And at least Jazz was the best company someone who didn't thrive in such environments could ask for during such occasions.

"Yo 'Sides, I heard ya made it in. Didn't realize it was just you though, where's Mister Sunshine?"

Sideswipe snickered at some inside joke for a moment but then frowned, his demeanor turning somber. "I have no idea. The officer in charge at our last official assignment sent us as backup for another unit in a jam. When the 'Cons lost they set off the timer for a bomb meant to ensure that if it couldn't be their victory it wouldn't be anyone's, then in the rush to retreat we got separated. I don't know what happened to anyone from that unit, really… I ran into Blue right after and we've been scouring the galaxy for friendly faces since. It'll be nice to stick to one place for a while. Maybe this way since I couldn't Sunny he might find me."

Kagome had no idea why, but something about that struck a cord in her. "'Sunny'?"

"His twin brother, Sunstreaker." Jazz elaborated.

Kagome turned to Sideswipe. "You guys have twins too? How does that work?"

"You'd have to ask someone else about the other type of twins, but for split spark twins like me and Sunny what started as a single spark broke or 'split' into two sparks which though their own person are connected by a bond comparable- rumor has it in some cases even stronger than- the one between sparkmates." Sideswipe explained.

"Bonds? Sparkmates?"

"You're kidding. You mean you've been with the Autobots pretty much since Prime and the others landed and you still don't even know basic stuff like that?"

"Go easy now, Sides. We've all been a little busy setting up shop to set aside the time to hold a cultural lesson. Didn't really come up, or occur that they were something that would need to be explained."

Sideswipe shrugged. "Long as I'm not saddled with the role of teacher."

Jazz rolled his eyes. "Since it's finally come up, might as well explain now. You said your spirit energy is connected to your soul, right? Well, for Cybertronians we call it a spark. Only unlike humans-"

And so Kagome was given an impromptu lesson on the spark, spark bonds, the fact that 'sparkmate' was basically like a soulmate only with proof it was real, and the way conjunx endura both were and weren't like marriage. And how Cybertronians had a concept something along the lines of a platonic romance yet not quite, called amica endura. Actually, Jazz seemed sort of wistful to Kagome…

"If it's okay to ask… do you have someone like that in your life?"

Jazz seemed taken aback, and Kagome didn't understand until Sideswipe started snickering and answered before he could. "You heh, you could say that, sort of… they've been dancing around each other for forever. Nobody can tell if he even knows how Jazz feels or not."

Jazz' expression turned indignant and he started glaring at Sideswipe, but Ironhide spoke up first from where he'd been performing weapons maintenance at a nearby Cybertronian sized table. "Eh, lay off him kid. It may be as frustrating as it is amusing, but it's his business."

"From my disastrous experience, whether interest is strong or casual it's not always cut and dry, even if the only issue is communication or a difference in perspectives." Kagome agreed gently, remembering how hard it had been to get across to Kouga that while she did care for him it was as a friend, not the same way he viewed her.

"That an' I haven't even seen him in a few vorns." Jazz muttered sullenly.

Kagome patted his arm gently from where she standing on a table to be better able to interact with the Cybertronians present. "There, there. I'm sure you'll see him again. Sometimes chance and fate have ways of surprising you. What's his name?"

Jazz' expression softened into a wistful, dreamy smile. "Prowl. His name is Prowl."

"I'll share some of my more interesting romance related stories if you tell me about him… supposing you even want to." Kagome offered. "You know, you keep things fair."

If that smirk had been on anyone's face but Jazz', Kagome would've regretted that offer. "You've got yourself a deal. See, we were both enforcers before the war. Prowler's a particularly serious bot from Praxus and at first he didn't seem to know what to make of me…"


End file.
